Every month, I analyze traffic and patterns on the Talk About Talk website. One of the measures I look at is what topics people type into the search function. One of the most common topics is always: “gender differences” Questions about gender differences also come up frequently in my coaching sessions and workshops. And I’ve certainly … Read More
Have you ever had a performance review via email? Has anyone ever broken 💔 up with you via text? Or proposed to you over the phone? I hope not! Yes, these examples are clichés. But they perfectly illustrate why your choice of communication medium is important. This goes for both personal and professional contexts. Here’s an example in a professional, … Read More
I have some fun trivia for you. You’ve probably heard this famous quote, and maybe you’ve even said it: “The Medium is the Message.” First piece of trivia: The correct quote is actually, “The MEDIUM is the MASSAGE.” That’s what 🇨🇦 Canadian philosopher and English & media studies professor Marshall McLuhan called his 1967 book: “The … Read More
Do you know when to text versus email versus pick up the phone? What about virtual versus face-to-face meetings? Andrea encourages you to think beyond your default media and consider the WHO, the WHAT and the WHY when choosing the ideal communication medium. RESOURCES “MEDIA” or “MEDIUM”? https://grammarist.com/usage/media-mediums/ Dr. Andrea Wojnicki & Talk About … Read More
The best marketers spend a lot of time understanding their target market. Similarly, the best communicators spend a lot of time thinking about their “audience.” Whether they’re up on stage communicating with a formal audience, or casually chatting with a colleague in the hallway, the best communicators focus on others. Another way to thinking about … Read More
The Power of 3 Have you ever noticed that the number 3 is everywhere? “1-2-3-GO!” “Third time’s a charm.” “3 strikes and you’re out!” Think about it… The world around us is full of 3s, and that’s because there is something uniquely POWERFUL about the number three. (But don’t take my word for it – … Read More
Do you have an accent? I happen to LOVE accents. I love hearing the tone and the character of a voice. An accent adds unique colour to a voice. Think about someone speaking with your favourite accent. Now imagine them reading tax law to you. Their voice could even make you want to listen! (This … Read More
Use jargon strategically It seems the JARGON episode struck a chord. Several people told me they’re now more conscious than ever of their words. That’s a good thing! Have you ever considered that Jargon can be 🤣funny?!? In case you don’t believe me (and even if you do), PLEASE check out this video of hockey players and how … Read More
AVOIDING JARGON. This week we’re going to get much more tactical. We’re talking JARGON. image: unsplash @ glen carrie Avoid JARGON. Words matter! In this week’s newsletter and podcast, you’ll learn: 3 types of jargon the impact of jargon, some good, but mostly bad please avoid these jargon PET PEEVES I wonder if you … Read More
What is jargon? Learn about buzzwords, corporate jargon and “big words,” including why we use these words, their impact (it’s not always negative!) and how we can learn to avoid jargon. Words matter! JARGON RESOURCES David Ogilvy: http://www.listsofnote.com/2012/02/how-to-write.html Annoying business buzzwords: https://www.trustradius.com/buyer-blog/annoying-business-buzzwords Annoying Buzzwords: https://fortune.com/2021/07/07/most-annoying-buzzwords-2021/ https://www.trustradius.com/buyer-blog/annoying-business-buzzwords Political Jargon: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-39418204 Dr. Andrea Wojnicki & Talk … Read More
Taboo topics are sacred or prohibited based on morals, religion or social norms. Learn how to respond to taboo topics and the significance of context when it comes to taboos. What’s considered taboo depends on the time in history, the generation, the person, the setting, even the medium. People seem to feel more comfortable reading … Read More
GENDER DIFFERENCES IN COMMUNICATION Certainly, gender differences exist: “Men are direct. Women are emotional….” “Men are from Mars, women are from Venus.” You’ve probably heard the comments and perhaps you’ve witnessed differences between how men and women talk. Recently a few people asked me about the differences between how men and women communicate. Like you, I’ve … Read More
Podcasting learnings from the first 60 episodes of Talk About Talk! Read the top ten communication insights to-date: Some of these insights are things that I’d read or heard before, but never experienced directly. Others are completely new learnings for me. ALL of them are things that will help us be better communicators! Let’s … Read More
On ASKING FOR HELP This week we focus on ASKING FOR HELP, for example when you: aren’t sure how to do something, but you know someone who has the expertise are working towards a tight deadline and you need help to get it done in time need to increase your budget – you need to … Read More
HOW TO ASK FOR HELP? Consider the 3Ms: Mindset, Motivations and Metaphors. Researcher Gretchen Barton of OZA shares her expertise, including insights from a recent Gates Foundation project on “Understanding Perceptions of Poverty” in America. Asking for help- be it expertise, time or money – isn’t easy, but you can learn to seek help with … Read More
APOLOGIES: How to say I’m sorry – blog This week we focus on APOLOGIES – and how to say I’M SORRY. Based on my research for this blog, it seems we have some work to do when it comes to apologies. Mea Culpa! Come on people! Read on to learn: How to say “I’m sorry” (do’s … Read More
This week we focus on “the good news and the bad news.” Which would YOU rather hear first? Let’s do this! Which do you want to hear first? The GOOD news or the BAD news? Most people want to get the bad news out of the way. According to academic research, 78% of us prefer to hear … Read More
Positive self-talk can make you healthier, happier, and more successful! Tosca Reno, Eat Clean founder and master wellness coach shares her advice for positive self-talk, including the Three Es of Wellness (Eat Clean, Exercise and Emotional self-care), her rituals, her mantras, and even her tattoos! References & Links Tosca Reno WEBSITE – ToscaReno.com FACEBOOK … Read More
Here we are with the 3rd & final episode in our Talk About Talk ? series on SELF-TALK: (Self-Talk 1of3 Ep.25) – Two weeks ago, we focused on BUILDING RESILIENCE with Tosca Reno (Self-Talk 2of3 Ep.26) – Last week I summarized some research on SELF-TALK & 5 MINDSETS we should seek to adopt (Self-Talk 3of3 Ep.27) – This week, Tosca Reno is back with us, with POSITIVE SELF-TALK … Read More
I hope you had a chance to listen to episode #25: “BUILDING RESILIENCE: Sets & Reps – with Eat Clean founder & master wellness coach Tosca Reno! A few of you told me that you’ve read her books and even participated in her wellness programs. She is so inspiring, isn’t she? Well GUESS WHAT?!? Tosca … Read More
Have you had a chance to listen to the PROFANITY podcast yet? Several of you told me that you learned a lot. ME TOO! I was curious to see the ratio of downloads between the explicit and the clean versions of the profanity podcast. FYI – it is about 2:1 explicit:clean. Hmm… ? Moving on…. … Read More
I hope you’re enjoying the summer so far – wherever you are! ☀️☀️☀️ Did you listen to the FUNNY TALK podcast with Hillary Anger Elfenbein? If not, I encourage you to do so. I promise you will laugh! And you will learn how to make others laugh too!If you haven’t read it yet, here is your primer on … Read More
On swearing – Do you ever wonder why some people use profanity and others do not? Linguistics professor Darin Flynn leads us through a fascinating discussion on the taboo topic of swearing, including types of swear-words, how swear words change over time, personality types that are more likely to use profanity, and the risks associated … Read More
(EXPLICIT) Do you ever wonder why some people use profanity and others do not? Linguistics professor Darin Flynn leads us through a fascinating discussion on the taboo topic of swearing, including types of swear-words, how swear words change over time, personality types that are more likely to use profanity, and the risks associated with profanity. … Read More
Here’s the new podcast on PROFANITY. Yes, two versions… PROFANITY PODCAST (clean) – https://talkabouttalk.com/23s2-clean-profanity-talking-taboo-with-linguistics-professor-darin-flynn/ PROFANITY PODCAST (explicit) – https://talkabouttalk.com/23s2-explicit-profanity-talking-taboo-with-linguistics-professor-darin-flynn/ MORE great TOPICS here: https://talkabouttalk.com/podcasts/ I figured I would ease us into profanity by blogging this week about TABOO TOPICS – what they are, and how to handle them in conversation. (You can skim this short email … Read More
Based on the storytelling podcast with Jerry Zaltman: metaphors, memes vs. GIFs, and 5 fascinating facts about stories (You can skim this email or click on one of the many LINKS to learn more!) ?FIRST – THE PODCAST For this week’s podcast, I am thrilled to introduce you to one of my favourite professors of … Read More
How’s your storytelling? In this podcast, Harvard professor & author Jerry Zaltman shares his expertise on what makes for great storytelling, the power of metaphors, and how, in addition to reading, writing and talking (yes!) can also be powerful modes of discovery. References & Links Professor Gerald Zaltman Email – gzaltman@hbs.edu HBS website – … Read More
“To have a second language is to have a 2nd soul,” said Charlemagne. This week’s expert & polyglot Dr. Josep González highlights that each language serves as a window into a culture. With more windows comes more complexity and sophistication. You can become a more sophisticated thinker by mastering your language skills: avoid thinking in … Read More
